ARD-DeutschlandTrend 2001

Since 1997 the ARD-DeutschlandTREND is being conducted on behalf of the ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland - First German Public Broadcasting Association) as well as various print media by Infratest dimap. The monthly telephone survey with approx. 1,000 respondents (for party preferences approx. 1,500 respondents) per wave is based on representative samples and measures attitudes of the voting-age population in the Federal Republic of Germany toward parties, politicians, and current political issues. Some topics are asked repeatedly in an identical manner over time, while other topics are included in one or several surveys only. The DeutschlandTREND is available as an annual cumulation for the years from 1998 onwards.<br>Party preference in the next federal election (Sunday question); satisfaction with selected top politicians (Claudia Roth, Edmund Stoiber, Fritz Kuhn, Friedrich Merz, Gerhard Schröder, Gabi Zimmer, Hans Eichel, Joschka Fischer, Jürgen Möllemann, Jürgen Trittin, Laurenz Meyer, Angela Merkel, Otto Schily, Renate Künast, Rudolf Scharping, Ulla Schmidt, Guido Westerwelle, Wolfgang Gerhardt, Werner Müller and Walter Riester); Germany´s medium-term nuclear phaseout is correct, Chancellor preference for Gerhard Schröder or Angela Merkel or for Gerhard Schröder or Edmund Stoiber; characteristics of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (great economic policy expertise, credible, likeable, good representation of Germany´s interests in the world, strong leader, able to cope well with international crises, great political foresight, familiar with citizens´ problems, able to make Germany fit for the demands of the future, has his party well in hand, cuts a good figure in public, cares more about his portrayal in the media than about factual policy); agreement with various statements about the Greens; confidence in institutions ( Federal Government, Bundestag, churches, political parties, large companies, unions, Federal Constitutional Court, armed forces, police, press, television, employers´ associations, courts); coalition preference for the future composition of the Federal Government; assessment of the problem-solving competence of a CDU/CSU-led Federal Government; party competence: most competent party to solve selected political tasks (securing old-age pensions, securing jobs and creating new ones, foreigners and asylum policy, reliable foreign policy, family support, social justice, health policy, combating international terrorism, combating crime, tax policy, protection against terrorist attacks in Germany, environmental policy, consumer protection, securing Germany as a business location, securing prosperity, solving Germany´s future problems); most important political problems in Germany; Gerhard Schröder a good chancellor; comparison of Angela Merkel and Edmund Stoiber in terms of: likeabilitly, credibility, stronger leadership, familiarity with citizens´ problems, advancing Germany´s economy, creating and securing jobs, right concepts for Germany´s future problems, social attitude, building up the East German economy, and new directions in politics; conditions in Germany at present more cause for confidence or more cause for concern; comparison of Gerhard Schröder and Edmund Stoiber in terms of: likeability, credibility, stronger leadership personality, familiarity with citizens´ problems, representing Germany´s interests in the world, advancing Germany´s economy, creating and securing jobs, correct concepts for Germany´s future problems, social attitude, building up the East German economy and new directions in politics; assessment of the economic situation in Germany at present and in a year´s time; satisfaction with the work of the individual governing parties, the SPD and the Greens; coalition preference for the future composition of the federal government; satisfaction with the work of the CDU/CSU opposition; satisfaction with the work of the red-green Federal Government; better chances of the FDP in the next Bundestag election with a party chairman Guido Westerwelle; preferred top candidate of the FDP in the next Bundestag election (Guido Westerwelle or Jürgen Möllemann); militant past of Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer as excusable youth sin, as serious threat or burden for the office of Foreign Minister or as reason for resignation; influence of BSE crisis on personal eating habits; assessment of Ulla Schmidt and Renate Künast as new Health Minister; influence of the BSE crisis on personal eating habits; assessment of the suitability of Ulla Schmidt as the new Minister of Health and of Renate Künast as head of the Ministry of Consumer Protection, Agriculture and Food; the ´68 movement stands for violence and rebellion against the rule of law versus for a departure of society toward more democracy and openness; reasons for political turbulence (increasingly fast-moving times, politicians´ loss of control over political events, media that always produce new headlines); CDU/CSU politician who is most likely to be the candidate for Chancellor against Gerhard Schröder (Angela Merkel, Friedrich Merz, Edmund Stoiber or Roland Koch); fall 2001 or spring 2002 as a suitable time for determining the CDU/CSU candidate for Chancellor; support for the investigation of Foreign Minister Fischer on charges of making false statements about RAF contacts; support for an additional parliamentary committee of inquiry concerning Foreign Minister Fischer´s political past; understanding of demonstrations against planned nuclear transports; support for the expansion of genetic testing of embryos fertilized in test tubes; opinion on Jürgen Trittin remaining in office as Federal Minister for the Environment after his skinhead comparison; opinion on amending the compensation law for former Nazi forced laborers despite the lack of guaranteed legal security for German companies; FDP´s own candidate for Chancellor as a good idea; FDP´s preferred candidate for Chancellor (Guido Westerwelle or Jürgen Möllemann); FDP should commit to a coalition partner before the Bundestag election versus entering the election campaign without a coalition statement; preference for SPD or CDU/CSU as FDP coalition partner; party that will play a greater role in the FRG in the future (FDP or Greens); Support for the Aufbau Ost proposal; appropriate time to determine the CDU/CSU candidate for Chancellor (as soon as possible, by the end of the year or early next year); opinion on the proposed number of highly skilled immigrants per year (20. 000 immigrants per year is sufficient, more or less than 20,000 foreigners should be allowed to immigrate, against any immigration); important political debates in expert panels are right versus should rather be reserved for the Bundestag; opinion on how to deal with the budget emergency of the state of Berlin (Federal government should take over reorganization of Berlin´s budget versus Berlin government itself); advocacy of the procedure of preimplantation diagnostics; achievability of the goal of lowering unemployment figures to 3.5 million by fall 2002; main responsible for the low economic growth in Germany this year (Federal Government, employers, trade unions or the world economy as a whole); proposal for health care reform: support of the model with basic care and stronger personal participation of patients; opinion on a government participation of the PDS in Berlin after the new elections to the state parliament in the fall; evaluation of the work of the Federal Government in the last three years; NATO mission in Macedonia: advocacy of Bundeswehr participation in NATO mission in Macedonia; rather leadership strength or rather leadership weakness of CDU leadership in debate on Macedonia mission; opinion on extending Bundeswehr mandate in Macedonia beyond planned 30 days; opinion on a resignation of Defense Minister Scharping because of the use of the air force for private purposes and for the visit of German soldiers to Macedonia; Germany should provide military assistance to the U.S. in the fight against terrorism; preferred form of military assistance (only transport aircraft or medics or Bundeswehr participation in combat missions); preferred composition of government after failure of red-green coalition because of Greens´ opposition to international anti-terrorism missions by Bundeswehr; nationwide party on fight against crime needed vs. Bundestag parties care enough; U.S. military action in Afghanistan against the masterminds of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington is right; suspend U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan to provide humanitarian aid versus continue airstrikes until Taliban are overthrown; advocacy of measures by Interior Minister Schily to improve internal security; Federal Government should decide on economic stimulus measures to boost the economy versus sticking to the previous austerity course; advocacy of PDS participation in the state government in Berlin; assessment of own financial situation; Chancellor Schröder rather strengthened or rather weakened after vote of confidence in connection with the vote on anti-terrorist missions of the Bundeswehr; expected continuation of the red-green coalition until the end of the election period in September next year; advocacy of the deployment of 3.900 Bundeswehr soldiers in the international anti-terror fight; whether the introduction of the Euro as legal tender is more likely to benefit or harm the respondent or the German economy.

Demography: sex; age; employment; occupational status; highest level of schooling; household net income.

Additionally coded were: record or pagination number; wave identifier; region (east/west); federal state; BIK community type; weighting factor.